Explore 20 Phone Expressions in English

Phone expressions are helpful when discussing communication and the usage of mobile devices in daily life.

Phone Expressions

1. Hang up
   Meaning: End a phone call.
   Example: She hung up after saying goodbye.
2. Hold the line
   Meaning: Wait on the phone.
   Example: Please hold the line; I’ll connect you.
3. Call it a day
   Meaning: Stop working for the day.
   Example: After finishing the call, they called it a day.
4. Pick up
   Meaning: Answer the phone.
   Example: Can you pick up the phone?
5. Call back
   Meaning: Return someone’s phone call.
   Example: I’ll call back later with details.
6. Give someone a buzz
   Meaning: Call someone on the phone.
   Example: I’ll give you a buzz tomorrow morning.
7. Drop a call
   Meaning: Lose connection during a call.
   Example: The network is bad; it keeps dropping calls.
8. Off the hook
   Meaning: Very busy with phone calls.
   Example: The customer service line is off the hook.
9. Phone tag
   Meaning: Series of missed calls between people.
   Example: We played phone tag all day yesterday.
10. On the line
    Meaning: Currently speaking on the phone.
    Example: She’s on the line with the manager.
11. Call it quits
    Meaning: End something, often a relationship.
    Example: They called it quits after a long argument.
12. Dial in
    Meaning: Join a phone meeting.
    Example: We’ll dial in at 9 AM.
13. Speed dial
    Meaning: Quick dialing of stored numbers.
    Example: My mom’s number is on speed dial.
14. Get through
    Meaning: Reach someone successfully by phone.
    Example: After several tries, I got through.
15. Hang by a thread
    Meaning: In a precarious situation.
    Example: Their relationship is hanging by a thread.
16. Ring off the hook
    Meaning: Phone ringing constantly.
    Example: His phone rang off the hook after the promotion.
17. Call the shots
    Meaning: Be in charge, make decisions.
    Example: In our team, Sarah calls the shots.
18. Blow up someone’s phone
    Meaning: Call or text someone excessively.
    Example: He blew up her phone with messages.
19. Cold call
    Meaning: Unsolicited marketing call.
    Example: I received a cold call offering insurance.
20. Prank call
    Meaning: A joke or hoax phone call.
    Example: The kids often make prank calls for fun.